Rare craniopagus twins successfully separated
Last October, UC Davis Children’s Hospital surgeons took part in our first-ever separation of nine-month-old conjoined twins Abigail and Micaela Bachinskiy. After months of high-tech preparation, the 24-hour landmark surgery was conducted by a multidisciplinary team of more than 30 experts, including lead pediatric neurosurgeon Michael Edwards, chief of plastic surgery Granger Wong and director of pediatric anesthesiology Rajvinder Dhamrait.
See more now in our six-part video series at ucdavis.health/twins.
Level I Children’s Surgery Center
UC Davis Children’s Hospital is verified as a level I Children’s Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the world standard bearer for surgical quality. Level I centers have children’s surgeons in every discipline, with pediatric anesthesiologists and dedicated operating rooms for children available 24 hours a day. They also train future leaders in education and research and participate in community outreach.
Groundbreaking treatment for spina bifida
Diana Farmer, our Children’s Hospital surgeon-in chief and chair of UC Davis Health’s Department of Surgery, in collaboration with stem cell scientist Aijun Wang, have received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to test a groundbreaking spina bifida treatment that combines surgery with stem cells. The one-of-a kind treatment, delivered while the baby is still in the mother’s womb, could improve outcomes for children with the birth defect. In November 2020, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awarded a $9 million grant to both Farmer and Wang to help launch the world’s first human clinical trial.
Farmer awarded APSNA Champion Award
Diana Farmer was also awarded the Champion Award by the American Pediatric Surgical Nurses Association (APSNA). The organization shapes pediatric surgical nursing through advocacy, collaboration, mentorship and leadership.
